Fertilizing grass hay fields

Once you know your PH you will understand best what needs to be put on your fields.

Just remember the agricultural and pelletized lime needs 6 months to a year before they start to react in the soil and change your soil PH. Hydrated or burnt lime will react immediately and change the soil PH. 500 Lbs of burnt lime will have the same immediate effect as 2000 Lbs of agricultural lime will over a 2 year period.

For hay fields with a good PH 300 Lbs per acre of 19-19-19 works fine in the TN-KY area. For pasture 250 Lbs per acre of 12-24-24 works fine. Your soil test will give you the exact answer. Using ammonium nitrate leaches the lime out of the soil quickly.

Generally, based on soil test my potash needs run from 100 to 200 pounds actual K. Phosphate needs generally 0-50 pounds per acre up to 100 pounds per acre in the Salt River water shed. Nitrogen is a straight Univ of KY recommendation of 100 pounds actual N per acre on grass hay.

Most of my straight grass fields call for 300# ammonium nitrate and 200# muriate of potash. Typically, I back the N rate off to 200-250 ammoinum nitrate to cut down on lodging since I cut a bit later than recommended. My clover/grass fields normally call for around 100 pounds diammonium phosphate per acre and 200 pounds muriate of potash, a few call for twice that much muriate. Alfalfa fields run all over the board.

You will find that it is money very well spent.

Good luck,

Scott